The present invention relates to sporting goods and recreational products, and more particularly to an improved bodyboard for use in riding ocean surf. Bodyboards are surfing devices somewhat akin to surfboards, with the major differences being that bodyboards are shorter in length, lighter in construction and used to support a rider in a supine position for riding waves. Bodyboards are shaped from a foam plank which is then covered with a top riding surface of plastic material and a bottom surface of slick material for enhancing planing effect during riding.
The most popular mode of riding a bodyboard is for an individual to recline stomach-down against the riding surface, with the front arm extending forwardly for gripping the nose of the bodyboard and the opposite arm positioned in a trailing manner for gripping the side edge of the device. With one arm extended forwardly, and the other to the rear, a bodyboard rider may lift or push down with either or both arms, as the case requires, to effect turning and cutting action during riding. A rider may raise his/her body up somewhat by bending the forward arm for propping up on the elbow. Bodyboarding is a very fast-paced and exhilarating sport, and has evolved into competitions where tricks and maneuvers requiring a high degree of coordination and aggressiveness are attempted. Tricks such as the "el rollo," "drop me off," "belly 360," and others are ones which involve daring and precise maneuvers mandating that a rider have complete control over the board.
To maintain complete control, a rider must grip the board securely, but this can become a problem because water covers the board's surfaces. Conventional boards are provided with nose ends which are straight or blunt, as opposed to the single, peaked ends typically found on surfboards. Blunt nose ends are used on conventional bodyboards because a rider must grip that end without slipping off. However, a rider's hand easily can slip off, resulting in an aborted or out-of-control ride. The hand of the trailing arm may also inadvertently slip from gripping a side edge. In any case, for a rider to perform either long, drawn out turns, or short, "snappy" turns, or the wide variety of tricks in competitions, a sure grip is necessary.
The present invention seeks to overcome problems of hand slippage in conventional boards, and to that end, contemplates a bodyboard provided with hand-hold means disposed adjacent each side edge configured for being securely gripped by one of the rider's hands for orienting and maintaining that hand in a predetermined position relative to the length of the bodyboard.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bodyboard having a pair of offset means or sections provided adjacent each side edge. The offset sections are elongate, substantially planar surfaces which divide each side edge into fore and aft sections Each offset section is dimensioned with an overall length sufficient for accommodating a rider's palm, with the thumb being positioned on top of the bodyboard, adjacent the offset section, and the remaining fingers curled around for gripping the bottom of the board. Each offset section is dimensioned with a length generally in the range of 2 to 5 inches, thereby presenting an area to block or inhibit forward movement of the hand, by engaging the palm, so that the rider may grip the side edge with security.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a contoured nose end which serves as an abutment means to inhibit slippage of the rider's forwardly-extended hand. The abutment means is defined, in a preferred embodiment, as a concave nose section for receiving the hand but which will limit that hand from slippage toward either side.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a ridge means, adjacent each offset section, which will stabilize or at least prevent substantial lateral shifting of the rider's thumb.
These and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the brief description of the drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.